Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1887-08-07
WINFIELD.


summit of rocky eminence in the eastern
limits of Winfield near the hill on which is
located the water werks reservoir, and be-
held landscape scene well calculated to
make the heart of any loyal Kansan swell
with pride, and please the soul of any ad-
mirer of natur's grandeur and beauty
There are many such scenes in Kansas, but
| fear but few behold them with apprecia
tive eyes, The grand rush for clinking
silver and corner lots on favorite avenues,
while altogether right and proper, is not
strictly conducive tie our noticing the love
illness, symmetry and grandeur of nature.
In travelling thousands Of miles, within the
past four years, through some twenty states
and territories of the Union, your cores
pondent has not seen more enticing coun-
| try than Kansas, nor more attractive land
scape view than that afforded from the
Winfield hill
Off to the westward you have the city
lying before you, Its broad avenues and
busy streets bedecked with white stone
blocks and buildings and lined end inter
spersed with the green foliage of thousands
of delightful shade trees. The new college
and the handsome bank buildings at the
corner of Ninth and Main streets stand out
conspicuously In the picture, and are rem.
dered all the more exquisite from the gen.
eral beauty of the background. The rail
roads, too. while not usually of an orna-
mental nature, come in here for their share,
for the scene would be as incomplete with
out them as would the spiders web without
the silken cords radiating from its center.
Leaving this gratifying picture for q
moment we glance away beyond the city
to the broad prairie highlands toward
Medicine Lodge, and beyond the great
fields of yellow corn and prairie grass, we
imagine we can almost see the large herds
of fat cattle for which that
region is so noted. And but for
the dust and general compression which the
railway builders are having in their track,
we might not be deprived of beholding
this pleasing spectacle. Again, turning to
the southwark We have an unequaled view
of splendid country down the valley of the
Walnut, which stream flows placidly
downward to join the Arkansas in the In
dian Territory. The spires and marble
like buildings of that growing and impor
tant town, Arkansas City, are almost in
sight, while the luxurious farming country
ly ing between Is an exhilerating and glor-
ious picture, verify, We are In the center of
Eden, and peace, prosperity and goodness
reigns supreme around about.
Without stopping to dictate upon the
serenity of the herded hills and wales off to
the east of us, we turn toward Wichita, for
this feeble sketch would never be complete
without drawing long breath and facing
in the direction of this Wonder of the
West, since the eyes of all the world are
upon her, and her praises are being herald
ded 10 the uttermost quar-
tiers of the earth Yonder over
the foothills, a trit1e west of north, per
haps less than fifty miles distant, our imag
ination eye rests on the Peerless Princess
of the Plains, tallow me to quote the pleas
ing illustrative appellation, since no ones
political life is st stake the great city of
the Arkansas valley. The last addition
this way appears but short distance from
here, and If one looks closely he may de-
tect what appears to be the flying form of
an EAGLE reporter chasing flying rumor
out on Douglas avenue with all the zeal
and enterprise Of modern journalism.
With all the pharphernalis Of latter day
city of the flrst-class, net work Of rail
roads extending TO cities, towns and vi
lagos in all directions; with the hub bub,
hum-drum and progressive roar Of manu-
fscture, transportation and business of sale
equal in proportion to London and New
York. Wichita stands out oouspicaously a
Nineteenth century marvel. The sight
makes the heads Of natives of slow going
eastern towns dizzy, snd yet It's magic
growth Is no wonder TO Us when we con-
slider the number Of men of enterprise and